The Sunderland players left Stamford Bridge scratching their heads, wondering how they ended up on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline.

The Wearsiders last lost at Chelsea three years ago but this was a very different game - in 1999 they were flattened 4-0 but in 2002 that scoreline flattered their hosts.

They may not have done enough to win, or even force a draw, but four goals made a defeat sound like a drubbing for Peter Reid's side.

In actual fact, despite conceding a first-half goal scored by William Gallas, Sunderland had matched their Champions' League-chasing hosts for over 70 minutes and with Niall Quinn warming up on the touchline, Reid was confident that the Black Cats could get back on level terms.

But Icelandic international Eidur Gudjohnsen - ironically a one-time transfer target for Sunderland - killed off the game with a second goal before Quinn even got on to the field.

Sunderland could be forgiven for feeling a little hard done by even at 2-0, as Chelsea were hardly two goals superior at that stage.

But all of a sudden Sunderland collapsed and the floodgates opened.

Substitute Mikael Forssell made it 3-0 just three minutes after taking to the field and then the impressive Italian midfielder Sam Dalla Bona completed the scoring with virtually the last kick of the game.

The scoreline was a crushing blow for Sunderland because their performance, the last 17 minutes apart, deserved better.

Gavin McCann and Paul Thirlwell made all the running in the five-man midfield until they, understandably considering they were both playing their first game for two months after being sidelined through injury, ran out of steam towards the end.

And Darren Williams and Jody Craddock, save for the one chance that counted for Gudjohnsen, did an admirable job of keeping the joint Premiership top scorer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and his strikepartner quiet.

The final score was hardly a fair reflection of the game, but it summed up perfectly the key difference between these sides this season: Goals.

Only doomed Leicester have scored fewer goals this season and no top-flight team has found the net less frequently than the Sunderland.

Chelsea were more creative and had the vital cutting edge that Sunderland lacked when it mattered.

As far as 14th placed Sunderland are concerned, their season looks set to go right down to the wire too.

With just eight matches remaining and the situation near the bottom of the Premiership getting tighter with every game, good performances with no reward at the end of them will be of little consolation to the players, Reid or the fans.